The collection originated as the Frankl Library and Memorabilia founded by Robert C. Leslie in 1975. Leslie, Foster Professor of Pastoral Psychology and Counseling, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA, (1954-82) had met and studied with Frankl in 1961. He organized and was Curator of the collection until 1995. In 1975, Leslie arranged with then Director of the Graduate Theological Union Library, J. Stillson Judah that the Frankl Library and Memorabilia would be a special collection within the GTU Library. The original intention was that the Frankl Library would have all materials in its own space within a projected library building. With the change of Library administration, and in the final plans for what became the Flora Lamson Hewlett Library of the Graduate Theological Union, this space was not provided.

Viktor Emil Frankl (1905 - 1997) was born in Vienna March 26, second child of Elsa and Gabriel Frankl (brother, Walter; sister, Stella). Gabriel was the Director of Austria's Ministry of Social Service. Viktor developed a lifelong love of mountain climbing and an interest in psychology in junior high school and began a correspondence with Freud. (All these letters were confiscated by the Gestapo during WWII.) It was Freud that sent Frankl's first article in for publication in the International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 1924. Shortly after, Alfred Adler began to influence Frankl and in 1925 got his second article published in the International Journal of Individual Psychology.

Publication Rights Copyright has not been assigned to The Graduate Theological Union. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Graduate Theological Union as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Access Collection is open for research.